For the past few months I've been constantly reaching out to simple and comfy outfits. Maybe it's just a natural instinct of adjusting to the shades around me, but I've found it hard to pull out any strong colours or prints. I've had a lot of time to reflect and process this season and you can definitely read my mood by looking at what I'm wearing. I think I've always worn my heart on the sleeve.
High boots make it possible to wear skirts and dresses in the winter. Not to mention that they look fabulous with any outfit.
Winter makes me want to stay in my comfort zone and what better time to really work on that self-discipline! I find myself often thinking how I wish I had a stronger character in this or that and the opportunities always seem to rise for me to start working on them.
Before I used to admire people with self-discipline, thinking that there was something special about them, something I didn't possess. I tried to come up with excuses like I'm just not wired that way.
A music teacher once implied to his students that everyone is naturally lazy. That laziness is something we have to fight off and that's how he motivated his students to practise. I disagree. It's true that self-discipline comes easier to some, maybe they are wired differently or their parents were able to teach that value in a way that it stuck, but I honestly think that self-discipline comes naturally for us. It's what we were created for and laziness is rather unnatural. Look at the people laying on their couches and letting their life slowly slip away, they are miserable!
It wasn't until the first time I decided to sign up to a gym with my friend who already had been bitten by a gym bug, that my view on things started changing. She became my "personal trainer", because of her relentless ways of instructing me and always pushing me to my limits. After sticking to it for a while, I realised that all my life until to that point, I had listened to lies saying "You can't do it, you don't have what it takes."
The beauty of self-discipline began to unwrap before my eyes. First I had to understand that I am powerful to make great choices and follow through. It meant not being afraid of pain and telling those undermining lies to go back to where they came from. Then I had to get my motivations straight. The promise of a "perfect body" didn't do it for me. Knowing my worth and recognising how extraordinarily I was created inspired me to take use of all the potential placed in me. Why would I live on just a small percentage of my capacity when I have the option of 100%?
My gym experience ended up building my mental capacity more than anything else. I found strength in me that I didn't even know existed. Problems began to shrink in my eyes, because I had adapted the mentality of "I can do it". My emotional intelligence got it's share as well, as I learned to face the pain and walk through it instead of avoiding it. Self-discipline turned from an unachievable proof of character to an attainable part of my nature and now I've been focusing on applying it to every other area of my life.
The moment you stop being a victim and are ready to take responsibility for your life, you will discover new strength and beauty hidden inside. You are the captain of your soul. Don't just drift without a course letting the waves determine your direction, but keep your eyes focused on the destination set before you.
xxx
Photos by Adriana Dobrin
Sweatshirt: Madewell
Skort: Zara
Boots: Zio
